MOTOROLA RAZR V3

'Motorola RAZR V3' (pronounced "''RA-zer''", IPA://) is a thin clamshell mobile/cellular camera phone designed and manufactured by Motorola. The phone was initially regarded as an exclusive fashion phone,^[1] with a high price of $500 with service agreement and $800 without. However, in 2005 the phone entered the mass-market as a mid-priced phone.
As of September 2007, the phone is available in the UK from £39 from Argos, in Australia for $200 from Optus and Telstra, in Mexico for MXN$2,399 from Telcel, in Canada for $199.99 from Rogers Wireless (49.99 with a 3-year contract), in Ireland for €149.99 from Lidl and can be obtained free in the United States after rebate (from T-Mobile and AT&T, formerly Cingular Wireless, the original US carrier for the RAZR), making it an upper-end budget phone. In 2005, ''PC World'' put the RAZR at #12 in ''The 50 Greatest Gadgets of the Past 50 Years''.^[2]
On May 15, 2007, Motorola announced the new RAZR 2, with a bigger screen, better UI, and Linux platform. It also has packed in even more features, and managed to be an even smaller and slimmer phone than the original RAZR V3.

History

Product development began in July 2003^[3] with sales starting the following year. By July 2005, Motorola reported to analysts that the RAZR V3 was the most popular clamshell, something that it owes almost entirely to its distinctive looks and small size.
Motorola released a CDMA version of the RAZR for Verizon Wireless, Cricket Communications, US Cellular, and ALLTEL on November 21, 2005, called the RAZR V3c. The V3c was adopted by Canadian carriers Bell Mobility and TELUS Mobility in February 2006. Changes in the CDMA version include a slightly thicker form factor (primarily due to a "bulge" around the camera lens), more internal memory (30 MB), a higher resolution 1.3 megapixel camera, and CDMA20001xEV-DO support. However, the V3c supports only 16-bit color, and its weight has increased from 95g to 99g. Another small detail is the "bump" that lifts the camera on its back.
Motorola announced the V1150, which was renamed as the RAZR V3x, a 3G phone with two cameras and support for microSD memory cards. Motorola has confirmed that the phone is not intended as the successor to the RAZR, and that "RAZR V3x" is simply a new name for the existing V1150. It has also been confirmed that the phone will be released in Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand — but not the US.
On March 10, 2006, the companies Cingular Wireless and T-Mobile USA temporarily stopped selling the RAZR, due to a technical glitch that caused the phone to drop calls or shut down. The glitch was reportedly resolved two months later.^[4]
On July 18, 2006 Motorola announced it had shipped the 50 millionth RAZR, making it the most popular cell phone of any kind.^[5]
On October 3, 2006, Sprint announced that they are going to start selling RAZRs, along with the SLVR and the new KRZR.^[6]
On May 15, 2007, Motorola announced the new RAZR 2, with a bigger screen, better UI, and Linux platform. The Company's CEO, Ed Zander, also mentioned that Motorola had shipped 50 million RAZR's to date, making it second in sales only to the Nokia 1100, which has sold 200 million.

2G Models

V3

The original RAZR V3 GPRS phone is carried by Cingular, Cincinnati Bell, T-Mobile, and Centennial Wireless in the USA, Rogers Wireless and Fido in Canada, Telcel in Mexico, Optus and Telstra in Australia, Vodafone in New Zealand and Australia, Oi, TIM in Brazil and by many companies in other countries.

Matte Black version

A black version was produced for distribution in the 77th Academy Awards gift bags,^[7] and was released in early May 2005. As of September 2005, the black version is available in the USA from Cingular and Cellular One from Dobson Cellular Systems, Canada only from Fido Solutions or Rogers Wireless and in many other countries from Movistar and Claro (Telcel).
The black V3 is the standard version of the phone in the United Kingdom.

Hot Pink versions

The first pink version was released in October 2005, and as of June 2006, is available in the USA from T-Mobile (as RAZR V3 Magenta, after the T-Mobile—and its parent, Deutsche Telekom's—corporate color, but called RAZR V3 Pink in other countries, including other T-Mobile networks), Verizon and Cingular Wireless (each in a different shade, currently exclusive to the US). It is available in Canada from Bell, Rogers Wireless and Telus, and in the United Kingdom from T-Mobile and the Carphone Warehouse. $25 of sales from the Rogers pink V3 go to Rethink Breast Cancer. It is also available in all Movistar-serviced countries and Claro (Telcel).

Blue version

The blue version was released in the United Kingdom. It is called the RAZR V3 Light Blue but it is actually mostly silver with a light shade of blue. It is available from T-Mobile in the UK and Movistar in Peru. A darker "Cosmic Blue" Version is also available from Rogers Wireless in Canada, and Virgin Mobile, and also Orange in the United Kingdom. Now Cincinnati Bell, a local wireless service provider in Cincinnati, offers a navy blue RAZR V3.
As of June 2006, Cingular also offers a model which is blue on the exterior with silver interior (i.e. when phone is open, exposed surfaces are silver). As of July 2006, Australian Telecommunications giant Telstra is offering the V3x Blue (as well as Pink) version for $0 upfront on a $20 plan.
The dark blue version available from Tesco in the UK is a V3r with no memory slot or iTunes, (and more difficult to unlock).

Miami Ink Collection

As of October 30, 2006 through T-Mobile in the United States, Motorola offered a version with laser-etched tattoo-inspired designs created by Ami James of the TLC reality television show, Miami Ink.^[8]

V3i

The successor to the RAZR is the RAZR V3i. It addresses some of the faults of the original RAZR V3 including a better (1.23 megapixel) camera with 8x digital zoom, an improved external display and support for up to 1 GB of microSD cards. The V3i comes in two versions: one with iTunes and one with Motorola's Digital Audio Player (DAP).^[9] The iTunes version of the phone has a 50 or 100 song limit restriction ("cap") depending on where the phone model was made.^[10] The Motorola DAP does not suffer from this cap; however, it takes considerably longer time to load and uses the V3's battery at a much faster rate than iTunes does. The phone's looks have also been subtly changed. It was announced on December 8, 2005 that Motorola had teamed up with Dolce & Gabbana to produce a Special Edition Gold RAZR V3i. Only 1000 of these have been made and sold for a premium price.
On June 1, 2006, Motorola and Dolce & Gabbana once again released their limited edition gold phone. This model includes a D&G cell phone holder, a signature leather pouch, Bluetooth headphone, and FM earphones. It is available from all major Motorola retailers and select D&G boutiques.
The V3i is available in the following colors:

★ Silver Quartz (main color)

★ Gunmetal Grey

★ Gold Plate (special edition DG version only, see above)

★ Dark Blue

★ Maroon

★ Violet

★ Orchid

★ Black for (PRODUCT)^RED (special edition to tie in with the (PRODUCT) RED initiative

★ Platinum
The Motorola RAZR V3i was released to most worldwide markets in the Q4 of 2005-2006. In the U.S. the phone was released through Cingular Wireless on September 6, 2006, with a new activation price of $299.

V3r/V3t

The V3r and V3t are models sold by Cingular Wireless and T-Mobile, respectively. These models are virtually identical to the V3i, except they use Motorola's Digital Audio Player instead of iTunes for music playback. T-Mobile's V3t cripples the Voice Notes function by not allowing you to save your voice recordings to the phone; inexplicably, you can only forward them to voicemail. The V3t, sold by T-Mobile, comes equipped with software that supports T-Mobile's "MyFaves" rate plan. Canada's Rogers Wireless also carries them for a reduced price compared to the original Razrs.

V3im

The V3im is a version of the RAZR V3i available in the UK market with a 100 song cap on iTunes.^[11]

MS500

Another version of this phone was released in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) on June 1, 2005. This version has the similar physical appearance as the original V3 but instead of GSM, it is a CDMA phone for SK Telecom. It is the first CDMA version of the RAZR without the expandable memory, Bluetooth and SIM card, since Motorola Korea's system was able to produce its own model before worldwide GSM format release. It has a 1.3 megapixel camera, video recording, 80MB of internal memory and a variety of UI features, such as mobile blog, Yoga graphic book, Diet diary and Lotto number generator for Wellness theme. It also comes in colors other than those mentioned above. Black, pink, and lime models are seen around Korea. In February 8, 2006 Motorola Korea released its own slide-phone model for the RAZR named Z model name MS600. Unlike most other versions, the MS500 version is packaged with a charging dock and has three metal terminals on the back side immediately under the the battery cover.
Also, as the add-on to the MS600, MS500 Lime RAZR has been in circulation in South Korea since October 2006 along with the Motorola KRZR Black and Motorola KRZR Fire (Red).

CDMA2000 Models

V3c

On November 21, 2005, a CDMA version of the RAZR, known as the RAZR V3c, became available to Alltel, and Sprint users. Verizon Wireless followed suit on December 7, 2005. Unlike models for Alltel and other carriers, Verizon's V3c features a proprietary user interface and disables, in software, Bluetooth file transfer capabilities (called OBEX). (Although OBEX is supported in Verizon's V3c firmware version .02, and version .04 if flash-upgraded directly from .02, skipping any install of .03.) In January 2006, Canadian TELUS, Bell Mobility and Aliant Mobility, Venezuelan carriers Movistar and Movilnet, and Brazilian Vivo began carrying the V3c. In April 2006 Cricket Communications began selling the V3c. The RAZR V3c supports CDMA 2000 1xRTT and 1xEVDO third generation wireless technologies. This is the technology Verizon Wireless uses to provide their V CAST multimedia service. The coverage of this feature, however, may not be available everywhere. US Cellular and Alaska Communications Systems, Alaska's CDMA provider, also carry the V3c. It also has approximately 41.2 MB of internal memory, although only 32.8 MB are available for use. The V3c does not support an expandable memory card.
The original version of the V3c was charcoal gray, and a light pink version called Satin Pink (different from the GSM Magenta/Pink and the Cingular Cotton Candy versions) was released by Verizon Wireless in January 2006. TELUS Mobility, Bell, Aliant, and Vivo also carry pink versions of the V3c.

V3m

V3m is a new CDMA version of the RAZR. As an upgrade to the V3c, it features a microSD card slot for up to 1 GB of memory expansion, a longer lasting battery, and 40MB of internal memory. The V3m presently comes in silver and pink, although the original release as well as models currently available on the Sprint CDMA network featured the gunmetal gray color of the V3c. This is not available in the UK, although the V3x is on sale there.

It should be noted that the V3m is artificially crippled by Verizon Wireless. Verizon has disabled the ability to transfer data files to and from the phone via Bluetooth (a specific protocol called OBEX). Verizon has also blocked the transfer of most data over USB, such as ringtones. These phones also run Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW), which signs each application to the phones Electronic Serial Number, or ESN, thus preventing the use of free applications. The equivalent models offered by competitors (such as the V3t by T-Mobile) are not crippled in this manner. Verizon also installs their own user interface instead of the default Motorola interface. This has led to many Verizon Wireless users to resort to using their own artificial means of reverting their phones back to an original Motorola condition, or to that of a Verizon phone that has some of the disabled features enabled.

The V3m also has several flaws.
1. Startup sound - unable to completely turn off. Unless the phone is in vibrate or silent, a series of tones sounds every time at startup and shutdown.

Red V3m

Product Red

Partnering with Motorola, US Cellular and Sprint released a special Product Red RAZR and Bluetooth H500 headset to help support Global Fund programs which positively impact the lives of women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa. Also in the UK there is a Product Red V3i, SLVR, and Bluetooth H3 headset.
==W-CDMA/UMTS/FOMA models==

V3x

Announced in March 2005, the RAZR V3x was formerly known as the Motorola V1150. Externally, it appears to be a larger RAZR V3, albeit with enhancements such as a 2.0 Megapixel camera. Internally, it is quite different, utilizing a different microprocessor, chipset, an nVidia GoForce GPU, and radio ICs. As a 3G product, its feature set is closer to that of phones such as the Motorola V980, e.g., two cameras instead of the single camera typical on GSM or CDMA products. However one of the main attractions of the RAZR V3, the fact that it is very thin, is no longer present in the V3x; although it is the smallest phone available in the UK on the "3" network, compared to other clamshells, it is only an average-sized phone. It won the "Best 3GSM handset" at the 2006 3GSM World Congress.^[12]

M702iG

In Japan, a 3G(W-CDMA) NTT DoCoMo version of the V3x was released in late August 2006.This version has IrDA.^[13]

V3xx

Announced in July 2006, the V3xx is a 3G Category 5/6 (3.6 Mbit/s) HSDPA and EDGE supported handset. It is extremely similar in appearance to the compact V3i design, but incorporates an improved feature set with a 1.3 megapixel camera in place of the 1.23 megapixel, 50 MB of memory, support for microSD and Bluetooth A2DP. Like the V3x, it is also equipped with a secondary camera and a higher resolution 240x320 pixel main screen.^[14].
The V3xx was made available for purchase internationally on the Three network in November 2006, and is now (January 2007) available on AT&T (formerly Cingular) for $79.99 with a new 2-year contract. Although the Cingular branded version of the V3xx came with the secondary camera, the AT&T version of the phone omits this feature, as video calling is not currently offered on that network. The built-in GPU, manufactured by NVIDIA Corporation (model GoForce® 4800) is capable of rendering 3D images through OpenGL ES. The phone includes a much faster CPU as well, making the performance of all features, including 3G/Data much more real-time. (All menuing delays common to the slower V3 platform are gone). With the new CPU available, the V3xx Phone now also includes a fast USB V2.0 for downloading ringtones/images/mp3 files quickly. (older V3's were limited to USB V1.1)
Unlike with the V3 and V3i (both of which were quad band GSM and thus worked equally well on any GSM network in the world) the V3xx comes in different variants depending on the local frequency bands used for GSM and UMTS/HSDPA. The North American V3xx is tri band (850MHz/1800MHz/1900MHz) GSM and dual band (850MHz/1900MHz) UMTS/HSDPA, whereas the version sold in Europe and Asia is tri band (900MHz/1800MHz/1900MHz) GSM and single band (2.1GHz) UMTS/HSDPA. This is likely due to the need to fit the internal components of the V3xx into a small casing - as of early 2007 global phones that support quad-band GSM and tri-band UMTS are considerably bulkier than the V3xx.

M702iS

NTT DoCoMo version of the V3xx. This version does not have GSM or HSDPA, but it has IrDA.
^[15]

RAZR maxx

The RAZR maxx is a new 3G HSDPA and EDGE handset predated by the RAZR V3x. Initially known as the "MAXX V6," it was released in Europe by the end of 2006. Additionally Motorola had released pictures on its website of the Verizon version. It has a 2.0 Megapixel camera, a QVGA display and 50 megabytes of storage.^[16] While gaining a significantly improved featureset, it will maintain the same thin profile of the original RAZR V3. Key to its design are a glass fascia with external touch-sensitive controls for MP3s.
This phone can currently be bought on a pay-monthly contract on the Motorola website in the UK^[17] on Orange.
This phone is available in Australia from Telstra on their 850Mhz Next G network.
The Verizon Wireless version will be available on April 24th, 2007.
The Verizon Wireless version, the RAZR maxx Ve, does not have the second camera on the inside of the phone. Instead, there is a shutter button for focusing and picture taking. The Ve will feature Verizon's menu system, but is suppose to support OBEX profiles, unlike Verizon's current RAZR V3m.

RAZR 2

Main articles: Motorola RAZR 2

The new, more sleek and more stable design of the RAZR came out in North America in July 2007. This new RAZR includes more features such as Crystal talk and a touch sensitive external screen (used for replying to text messages, listening to music, and other features). Also, sturdier materials such as stainless steel will replace aluminum in the RAZR. The new models are the V8, the V9, and the V9m.^[18]

Developments

The original V3 was a pinnacle of functionality when it was first released, but compared to recent advancements in the cell phone industry, is now of relatively limited functionality. It has only 5.5 MB of usable memory capacity, upgradable to an absolute maximum of about 10 MB by modding the phone (see below for details). Furthermore it has no storage expansion slot and a low camera resolution of 0.3 megapixels (Resolution: 640x480 pixels).
The newer models (V3i and V3x) address these issues by increasing memory capacity to 30.8 MB and 62.8 respectively. Camera resolutions have been upgraded to 1.23 megapixels for the V3i, and 2.0 megapixels for the V3x. The hinge mechanism has also been reinforced.
For the V3x, Motorola slightly modified the keypad layout in response to complaints about it being difficult to use. The keys are bigger and more widely spaced, and rubber spacers have been added in between, instead of the laser-etchings on the metallic surface itself as seen previously.

Motorola redesigned the RAZR keypad for the V3x

Criticisms

In practice, the GSM RAZR V3 can only support packet-switched data transfer speeds of about 40 kbit/s using GPRS technology. Many GSM phones can support an enhanced version of GPRS called EDGE which supports much higher data transfer speeds.^[19]
Verizon intentionally restricts otherwise-available functionality in V3c and V3m models. Such phones are unable to transfer files via wireless Bluetooth (OBEX), forcing users to purchase ring tones and transfer photographs to home computers via Verizon's paid PixPlace service. However, through certain unsanctioned modifications, some of these capabilities can be re-enabled. The V3c and V3m handsets sold through Sprint, US Cellular, and Alltel do not suffer from such limitations.
The down-arrow key must be used more than any other while viewing and sending photos and videos and browsing the internet. As frequent use may cause wear-and-tear, making the key less functional, when this occurs, the device may lose some of its capabilities.
Numerous complaints have risen about dust accumulating between the V3's plastic screen and LCD glass, possibly through an external side button. Access to the dust requires peeling off the plastic cover, usually followed by a replacement cover. [1] [2]
Due to many Sprint customers complaining about less than expected battery life, Motorola has begun to offer free high-capacity batteries to Sprint customers who contact Motorola's customer service line with battery life issues.

User interface

The main menu screen and the menu lists use low quality 8-bit (256-color) icons with 1-bit transparency. This is in contrast to the 32-bit anti-aliased icons used on some newer phones such as Sony Ericsson's K800i.
Postal addresses cannot be stored on a V3 but can be stored on a V3c, V3i and V3x.
While composing a text message, the V3 loses the entire message if the phone is flipped closed or if the user returns to the idle screen. Each message must be explicitly saved by the user before exiting the message editor.
While longer videos can be captured, the maximum size of a multimedia message is 100 kb, limiting the length of a video clip to approximately 3 or 4 seconds. Longer videos must be transferred by USB cable.
When its battery is low, the RAZR emits a loud beep every few minutes. This can only be disabled by putting the phone in vibrate or silent mode, switching it off, or plugging it in for battery recharging.
During phone calls, the clock is obstructed from view regardless of whether displayed as analog or digital. The V3xx model displays the time and date (and a user option for call length time) during calls.
When pictures are opened individually at the lowest level, there is no 'Rename' option in the contextual menu.

Cultural impact

The RAZR has been said to be the ''"iPod"'' of Mobile Phones (in terms of impact, the ''"iPhone"'' excluded). Being the slimmest phone during its release in 2004 , it easily stood out amongst other phone models. It has also been one of the most popular mobile phones since its first release, having been spotted in the hands of celebrities and businessmen alike, it is frequently seen in movies and TV shows and is also being used by the Dutch Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende.^[20]

In popular culture

The RAZR can be seen in numerous movies and television shows. In some cases, the RAZR is tied in to an advertisement for the phone, such as the RAZR used by Detective Danny Messer during Season 2 of ''. The appearance of the phone was tied into an ad by Cingular Wireless for their ringtones featuring Coldplay. The RAZR has also featured on reality television and game shows. Contestants on the NBC adventure reality show "Treasure Hunters" were given RAZRs for communication with the host and each other throughout the season.^[21] The talk show ''Oprah'' helped launch the Product Red edition of the RAZR with Bono.^[22]

Specific absorption rate

The cell phone radiation levels by specific absorption rate (SAR) ratings for the V3 line are: [3]

Model	SAR rating(W/kg) digital	SAR rating(W/kg) analog	FCC ID
Razr V3	0.89	n/a	IHDT56EU1
Razr V3c	1.14	n/a	IHDT56FT1
Razr V3i	1.26	n/a	IHDT56GW1
Razr V3m	1.14	n/a	IHDT56FT1
Razr V3xx	1.21	n/a	IHDT6GN1

Specifications

The complete list of specifications^[23] for the V3c variant of the RAZR follows. Note that specifications for other versions vary.

Type	Specification
Modes	CDMA 850 / CDMA 1900
Weight	3.49 oz (99 g)
Dimensions	3.90" x 2.10" x 0.60" (99 x 53 x 15 mm)
Form Factor	Clamshell Internal Antenna
Battery Life	Talk: 3.33 hours (200 minutes) Standby: 215 hours (9 days)
Battery Type	LiIon 740 mAh
Display	Type: LCD (Color TFT/TFD) Colors: 65,536 (16-bit) Size: 176 x 220 pixels
Platform / OS	(N/A)
Memory	30 MB (built-in, flash shared memory)
Phone Book Capacity	1000
FCC ID	IHDT56FT1 (Approved Sep 1, 2005)

Notes and references

1. Razr refresh: Motorola's fashion cell phones
2. The 50 Greatest Gadgets of the Past 50 Years Dan Tynan
3. Motorola embraces the ethos of cool
4. Motorola Moves Beyond RAZR Glitch
5. http://www.motorola.com/mediacenter/news/detail.jsp?globalObjectId=7031_6980_23
6. Sprint Announces Upcoming Availability of MOTOKRZR™, MOTORAZR™ AND MOTOSLVR™ with Advanced Power Vision Capabilities
7. Oscar goody bags looking Razr sharp Margaret Kane
8. MOTORAZR V3 Miami Ink Collection
9. Motorola RAZR V3i
10. Motorola RAZR V3i Review Sandra Vogel
11. http://direct.motorola.com/eng/web_producthome.asp?Country=GBR&language=ENG&productid=30519
12. http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/mobilephones/ontheradar/0,39050922,39311054,00.htm
13. FOMA M702iG
14. Motorola RAZR V3xx
15. FOMA M702iS
16. Verizon to get its own MOTORAZR MAXX Chris Ziegler
17. Motorola RAZR maxx V6
18. The Motorola Razr 2 Chris Ziegler
19. Gprs and Edge to 3G
20. Als zij foto's maken, dan mag ik dat ook!
21. Is ‘Treasure Hunters’ copying ‘Amazing Race’?
22. iPod nano, Motorola RAZR to go Red for charity
23. http://www.ephonenews.com/v/1/2/577/1/Motorola_RAZR_V3c.html

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